Chapter Summaries

Yakumo updated Senju Chen on her rapid progress in ninjutsu and puppet skills, while Senju Chen visited Yahiko and discussed Akatsuki’s operations and Nagato’s workload. The chapter left Yahiko preparing to return to the forefront once the Land of Rain had stabilized further.

• Yakumo told Senju Chen she had mastered basic Fire and Water Release techniques, learned new skills from Sasori and Orochimaru, and could repair puppets.
• Senju Chen advised Yakumo to focus on making each puppet effective rather than simply increasing the number she could control.
• Yahiko told Senju Chen that the Land of Rain was stable for now and that Akatsuki had found no trace of the Masked Man.
• Yahiko reported that Nagato spent at least fourteen hours a day controlling puppets through the Soul Conversion Device, so Senju Chen ordered a recovery potion and set a twelve-hour limit.
• Yahiko shared his plans to cook for Nagato and Konan, while Senju Chen considered how irreplaceable Yahiko would be when he returned to Akatsuki’s forefront.

Senju Chen told Orochimaru that puppet clones were training in Sage Mode at all Three Great Sage Lands, leaving Orochimaru eager to return to Ryūchi Cave. Chen then sought intelligence on the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, Fū, who had recently been spotted near the border of the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Grass.

• Senju Chen told Orochimaru that his puppet clones were training in Sage Mode at Ryūchi Cave, Mount Myōboku, and Shikkotsu Forest.
• Orochimaru marveled that the clones let Chen risk Sage Mode training without endangering his original body, though failed clones still drained his mental energy.
• Orochimaru said he would speak to the White Snake Sage himself and prepared to return to Ryūchi Cave.
• Senju Chen went to the intelligence center and asked Hiraga for the latest information on the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki.
• Hiraga gave Chen a report identifying Fū as a fourteen-year-old missing-nin from Takigakure who had been spotted near an abandoned mine while evading pursuit.

Senju Chen tracked down the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki Fū, who was hiding from Takigakure in an abandoned mine, and slowly earned her trust by leaving her food and water. On the sixth day, Fū thanked him as he left, though they had not yet spoken further.

• Hiraga told Senju Chen that Takigakure's pursuit team had failed to capture the fourteen-year-old Fū, and Senju Chen decided to take her in.
• Senju Chen sensed Fū's tailed beast chakra in an abandoned mine and left food and water at the entrance before waiting nearby.
• Fū cautiously took the supplies and ate after going three days without food, while wondering whether Senju Chen had set a trap.
• Senju Chen left food and water for Fū each day, and she gradually became less wary of him.
• On the sixth day, Senju Chen sat outside the mine with his back to Fū, and she picked up the bundle and quietly thanked him.
• Senju Chen nodded and left, while Fū watched him go with reddened eyes.

Senju Chen continued bringing food to Fū while secretly using his Mangekyō to create strange sensations in the mine. Fū began to trust him slightly, but the nighttime haunting escalated when a glowing blue flower appeared above her.

• On the seventh day, Fū asked Senju Chen who he was, and he introduced himself as a man from the Land of Fire before leaving without asking her name.
• Senju Chen settled within range of the mine and planned to gradually use Illusion Space to unsettle Fū without frightening her into fleeing.
• That night, Fū saw a pebble roll in circles and smelled flowers, but Chōmei sensed no unusual presence and dismissed her concerns.
• On the eighth day, Senju Chen brought Fū an apple, and she thanked him for it while wondering what he wanted from her.
• That night, Fū saw a pale blue light form the shape of a flower on the mine's ceiling and called out to Chōmei.

Senju Chen used Illusion Space to create strange but comforting apparitions for Fū, gradually easing her fear and wariness. After Fū asked him to bring salt and reacted warmly to a paper bird made of light, Chen decided to continue his gradual approach, which he called psychological counseling.

• Fū watched a pale blue flower appear in the mine and found that its presence eased her fear, while Chōmei could detect no chakra or interference.
• On the ninth day, Fū met Senju Chen at the cave entrance and asked him to bring salt the next day; he agreed.
• Chen used Illusion Space to make a paper bird appear before Fū, fly around the mine, and dissolve into warm lights.
• Chōmei confirmed that the apparition showed no hostility, while Fū relaxed as the lights touched her.
• Chen saw that Fū's emotional response had refreshed the list of stealable abilities, but he chose to wait and keep creating gentle, eerie apparitions.

Senju Chen continued staging harmless illusions to provoke Fū’s curiosity and emotional fluctuations, while Fū and Chōmei tried to understand the unexplained events. Fū began to suspect that someone was playing with her, and Senju Chen planned a bigger evening show.

• Senju Chen planned a day of tricks and brought Fū salt and apples with her food bundle.
• Fū stayed at the mine entrance, told Senju Chen her name, and found the rice balls arranged into a smiley face.
• Senju Chen made Fū see her reflection stick its tongue out in the stream, but Chōmei detected no cause.
• Chōmei pointed out that the strange events had caused Fū no harm and seemed to be playing with her.
• Senju Chen saw Fū’s emotional fluctuations refresh the list of stealable abilities and considered making the evening show bigger.

Fū read mysterious messages on the mine wall that made her feel cared for, while Chōmei warned that whoever created them had power beyond his understanding. Senju Chen secretly stole Chōmei and decided to keep bringing Fū food and continue his strange visits, leaving her beginning to feel at home in the mine.

• Words appeared on the mine wall asking Fū if the apple was tasty and reminding her to sleep early, then wishing her good night.
• Fū asked Chōmei who had written the messages, and he said their unknown creator seemed to be taking care of her.
• Senju Chen saw that Fū's emotional reaction had refreshed the list of stealable abilities and successfully stole the Seven-Tails, Chōmei.
• Senju Chen noted that he had collected five tailed beasts and decided to keep bringing Fū food because she might be valuable beyond the Seven-Tails.
• Fū eventually fell asleep dreaming of warm points of light, while the mine began to feel like home to her.

Senju Chen arrived at the mine and found Takigakure ninja trying to capture Fū, who was wounded and defending the place. As the sealing formation failed to restrain her transformation, Fū went berserk and killed the scar-faced captain, while the surviving ninja fled.

• Senju Chen sensed hostile chakra at the mine and rushed there, finding Fū surrounded by more than a dozen Takigakure ninja.
• The scar-faced captain ordered Fū to surrender and return to the village as its Seven-Tails vessel, but she insisted she was not a vessel.
• Fū lost control and transformed, breaking through the sealing formation and collapsing the mine.
• Fū fired tailed beast bombs and chakra spikes at the Takigakure ninja, killing several and injuring the scar-faced captain.
• Fū killed the scar-faced captain by piercing his throat, and the remaining Takigakure ninja panicked and ran.

Fū lost control after the destruction of the mine that had brought her comfort, transforming into the fully manifested Seven-Tails Chōmei. Senju Chen restrained her and reached her in her consciousness, where he revealed that he had been the one leaving her food and flowers; Fū agreed to go with him and asked to see the glowing flowers once more.

• Fū destroyed the Takigakure ninja with a Tailed Beast Bomb, then saw that the mine had been buried by the battle.
• Fū transformed into the fully manifested Seven-Tails Chōmei and tried to fly away, but Senju Chen blocked her path.
• Senju Chen used Flying Thunder God to evade Chōmei's attacks, then disrupted her sense of direction with Illusory Dream Space.
• Senju Chen restrained Seven-Tails Chōmei with Adamantine Summoning Wood and Adamantine Sealing Chains, draining her chakra and calming her with gentle mental power.
• Senju Chen told Fū he had left her food and made the flowers in the mine, and Fū agreed to go with him after asking to see the glowing flowers again.

Senju Chen subdued the Seven-Tails and asked Fū to come with him, revealing that he wanted both the Tailed Beast and her. Meanwhile, Obito investigated a mysterious Three-Tails Jinchūriki, and Black Zetsu hid his suspicion that she was Rin Nohara.

• Senju Chen freed Fū after subduing Seven-Tails Chōmei and rested while recovering his chakra.
• Fū woke and confronted Senju Chen about his food, the mine, and his motives; he admitted he had wanted her Tailed Beast and then asked her to come with him.
• Obito questioned Black Zetsu about Minazuki Yuki, the Three-Tails Jinchūriki, and ordered him to investigate Kirisame Ryo.
• Black Zetsu concealed his belief that Minazuki Yuki was Rin Nohara and decided he had to act before Obito learned she was alive.

Obito learned that Kirisame Ryo had vanished and entered Kirigakure in disguise to investigate Rin Nohara, the Three-Tails Jinchūriki, whose face seemed familiar to him. Rin sensed someone watching her and grew increasingly uneasy as she worked alongside Mei Terumi.

• Black Zetsu told Obito that Kirisame Ryo had disappeared after leaving Kirigakure and had entrusted the village’s affairs to Mei Terumi and Minazuki Yuki.
• Obito decided to investigate the Three-Tails Jinchūriki and entered Kirigakure disguised as a merchant.
• Obito saw Mei Terumi meet Rin Nohara outside the High Tower and recognized Rin as the woman whose gaze had seemed familiar at the docks.
• Rin glanced toward Obito, then told Mei Terumi that she felt someone watching her.
• Mei Terumi urged Rin to rest and warned her to be careful because more outside merchants had entered the village.

Obito, disguised as the merchant Ichiro Tanaka, met Rin Nohara, who was disguised as Minazuki Yuki, to discuss trade proposals in Kirigakure. Rin grew suspicious of him, and Obito ended the meeting by questioning whether she was a Kirigakure native.

• Obito met Rin in the Mizukage Building while posing as Ichiro Tanaka of the Kawakita Chamber of Commerce.
• Obito proposed buying medicinal ingredients, opening a seafood processing plant, and securing an exclusive shipping route to the Land of Fire.
• Rin set conditions for the proposals and questioned Obito's vague funding and his claim that pirates had raided one of his ships.
• The Three-Tails warned Rin that Obito had strong chakra, while Rin sensed that he was not really a merchant.
• Obito asked whether Rin was a Kirigakure native after noting that her demeanor seemed more like someone from the Land of Fire.

Obito met with Rin Nohara, disguised as the merchant Ichiro Tanaka, and became convinced that her habits and chakra resembled the Rin he believed had died. After Rin questioned his motives, Obito left determined to test her again that night.

• Obito noticed Rin Nohara setting down her teacup in the same distinctive way as the girl from his memories and asked whether she knew medical ninjutsu.
• Rin admitted she had learned basic medical ninjutsu, and Obito sensed both her familiar healing chakra and the Three-Tails when they shook hands.
• Rin asked whether they had met before, and Obito said she reminded him of a good friend who had died; Rin apologized and watched him leave.
• Rin asked the Three-Tails whether Obito had posed a danger, and it confirmed that it had sensed a threat from him.
• At his inn, Obito dispelled his disguise, smashed a mirror, and resolved to test Rin that night to discover who she really was.

Obito Uchiha waited for Mei Terumi to leave Minazuki Yuki alone, then followed Yuki to a free clinic and ambushed her on the seawall. After exchanging attacks, he concluded that the deadly fighter was not Rin Nohara.

• Obito Uchiha watched Minazuki Yuki and Mei Terumi remain together for three days, then followed Yuki when she went alone to the old fishing village.
• Obito Uchiha watched Yuki treat fishermen at her free clinic and later waited for her on the foggy seawall in his orange spiral mask.
• The Three-Tails warned Rin Nohara of an incoming chain, allowing her to dodge Obito Uchiha's attack.
• Rin Nohara used the Hydrification Technique to evade Obito Uchiha's grab and nearly pierced his liver with a precise strike.
• Obito Uchiha made himself intangible to escape and decided that the woman was not Rin Nohara because she fought without hesitation or restraint.

Obito attacked Rin Nohara, but her bond with Isobu let her resist his genjutsu and transform into a partial tailed beast form. As Obito retreated using Kamui, one last look at Rin left him frozen in shock.

• Obito attacked Rin with Majestic Destroyer Flame and used the resulting steam to trap her in Mangekyō Sharingan genjutsu.
• Rin resisted the genjutsu when Isobu broke its chains from within, revealing their bond to Obito.
• Rin asked Isobu for power and transformed, manifesting armor and three barbed tails.
• Rin attacked Obito and identified the brief opening in his Kamui, striking his shoulder with one of her tails.
• Obito decided to retreat as Kirigakure approached and began leaving through Kamui, but froze after looking back at Rin.

Rin’s disguise fell away during her fight with Obito, and he recognized her as Rin Nohara before escaping through Kamui. Rin ordered the encounter classified as an S-rank secret and set out to report it to Senju Chen, while Obito removed his shattered mask outside Kirigakure.

• Rin’s disguise faded as the Tailed Beast Chakra receded, revealing her true face to Obito.
• Obito recognized Rin, called her name, and froze before escaping when his instincts triggered Kamui; a piece of his mask fell onto the rocks.
• Rin picked up the mask fragment, ordered Anyue’s ninja to notify Mei Terumi, and told them to classify the encounter as an S-rank top secret.
• Rin and Isobu concluded that the masked man had a genuine Sharingan and an unusual space-time technique, and Rin headed to deliver the news to Senju Chen.
• Obito emerged outside Kirigakure with a badly injured shoulder and tore off the remaining half of his mask.

After discovering that Rin Nohara was alive, Obito Uchiha realized the Eye of the Moon Plan had been built on a lie and confronted Black Zetsu. The chapter left Black Zetsu fleeing Obito’s attack as the plan’s key enforcer turned against him.

• Obito Uchiha recalled recognizing Rin Nohara as a living Tailed Beast host and broke down over the crimes he had committed believing she was dead.
• Obito blamed Madara Uchiha for deceiving him about Rin and attacked Black Zetsu when it emerged in the Kamui Dimension.
• Obito accused Black Zetsu of fabricating Rin’s death and demanded to know why she was alive.
• Obito used Fire Release: Blast Wave Wild Dance to engulf Black Zetsu’s position in flames.
• Black Zetsu evaded the fire and realized Obito was abandoning the Eye of the Moon Plan and turning against him.

Obito learned that Rin was alive and serving Kirigakure, leaving him unable to decide whether to continue the Eye of the Moon Plan. Senju Chen received Rin’s report of the encounter and laughed after learning Obito had recognized her.

• Black Zetsu persuaded Obito that an unknown third party had rescued Rin and concealed her survival, rather than Madara having lied to him.
• Obito realized the Eye of the Moon Plan would require him to fight Rin, told Black Zetsu to leave, and wept while holding an old fragment of his Forehead Protector.
• Rin sent Senju Chen an urgent report describing her battle with a masked attacker who used Space-Time Ninjutsu and possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Rin reported that the attacker recognized her as Rin after her Transformation Technique broke and enclosed a fragment of his shattered mask.
• Senju Chen reread the report, realized Obito had discovered Rin’s identity, and laughed with delight.

Senju Chen realized Obito’s discovery that Rin Nohara was alive had thrown Black Zetsu’s Eye of the Moon Plan into crisis. Black Zetsu, burned and hiding underground, concluded that Obito would never extract the Three-Tails from Rin, leaving the plan at an impasse.

• Senju Chen reflected that Obito had found Rin Nohara alive and in the Land of Water, and considered how the revelation could turn Obito against Black Zetsu.
• Senju Chen reasoned that Black Zetsu might kill Rin or abandon Obito, but saw few other viable pawns for the Eye of the Moon Plan.
• Black Zetsu emerged in a cavern beneath an unnamed deserted island after escaping Obito’s Mangekyō-powered attack, and cursed Obito for acting recklessly.
• Black Zetsu recalled how it had spent over a thousand years preparing the Eye of the Moon Plan and had relied on Obito’s grief over Rin’s death.
• Black Zetsu concluded that Obito would never extract the Three-Tails from Rin, making the plan’s executor and its target irreconcilable.

Black Zetsu planned to keep Obito Uchiha committed to the Eye of the Moon Plan by making him confront the bloodshed he had caused, while preparing Nagato as a backup. Meanwhile, Senju Chen considered Obito’s likely retreat into the Kamui Dimension and reflected on how Rin Nohara’s survival could undo Madara Uchiha’s scheme.

• Black Zetsu decided not to kill Rin Nohara, since doing so could drive Obito Uchiha to turn against him and derail the plan.
• Black Zetsu planned to expose Obito’s role in the Nine-Tails’ Attack and the Bloody Mist Village to make him believe Rin would never forgive him.
• Black Zetsu prepared Nagato as a backup candidate to collect the Tailed Beasts, though he worried Nagato’s frail body might not survive the task.
• Black Zetsu resolved to find Obito and persuade him to continue the Eye of the Moon Plan, while keeping him as the preferred vessel for the Ten-Tails.
• In the Land of Waterfalls, Senju Chen examined the mask fragment Obito had left behind and guessed Obito was hiding in his Kamui Dimension.
• Senju Chen reflected that Rin Nohara’s survival could dismantle the obsession Madara Uchiha had built around Obito’s despair.